Lawsuits filed over Iowa-assembled electric cars

A Des Moines car dealer has been sued over money paid for distribution rights to electric vehicles that never turned up.

The Des Moines Register reports that Gene Gabus is accused in court papers of fraudulent misrepresentations.

Court documents say Don Kahan Motors and O'Rourke Motors paid Gabus for distribution rights for Electric Motor Cars. The cars were to be assembled at a plant in Webster City by putting U.S.-made electrical parts into chassis assembled in Romania.

But the finished cars were never delivered, and the two dealers say Gabus hasn't returned their money.

Gabus has declined to comment.

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